Guide to changing the colour of the backlighting, and hardwiring the Aux socket to a flying lead.

I won't say this is an easy job, but well DIY-able with a few tools. If you screw your radio up or break your car, don't come crying to me.READ THE WHOLE GUIDE FIRST. IF YOU THINK IT'S BEYOND YOUR CAPABILITIES, DON'T DO IT!

Removing the radio (I know it's been included everywhere, but it's here too for completeness)1) Pull off your heater knob. It it's stiff, hook a piece of string behind it and pull on the string. If that won't do, prise gently with a flat bladed prising tool, being careful to protect the dash with a bit of cardboard or similar.2) Undo the screw behind the knob.

3) Using thumb nails if yours are strong, or the flat bladed prising tool, pop out the centre section of the dash.

4) Remove the pulgs and sockets from the radio (one white, on black (have little release levers on one side) and the aerial plug (just pulls off)) , and the heated rear window switch, hazard warning switch and (if you're lucky) the air con switch (have release buttons on the top or bottom). These are green white and black respectively. Cart the whole assembly inside to the operating theatre.

5)Remove the radio from the dash. Two sprags holding the radio in each side. Two on the top and two on the bottom. Requires use of 14 fingers, or some choice expletives.

6) Put dash to one side, and remove the front from the radio. Two small philips screws each side, and one clip each side, two on the top and bottom. 12 fingers only required this tome, also fewer expletives.

7) Remove 8 screws from the display PCB and remove. It will unplug from the push button sub-panel, leaving that in place.

8) Remove 4 screws from sub panel and remove.

OK ... take a breather...

This is showing the components we are going to change ... yes that's a penny.

There are 17 on the sub panel and 27 on the display PCB. I know I told you to get 50 , but you will lose some And anyway , it's a minimum order quantity

9) Remove a new diode from it's packaging to examine it. Marked on it somewhere is it's polarity. The mark will indicate the cathode. In the case of my diodes, there was a green mark on the underside. This pointed to the cathode.

The cathode of the diode in the radio is marked with a continuous line around the end of the diode. In the case of the picture below, it's to the right. All of the diodes we are changing have there cathode to the right, or to the top if they are vertically orientated.

10) Desolder the first diode (I actually desoldered the whole lot, it saves time, but if you're new to this, take your time). Use the solder wick to suck off the solder, then you should find a slight push with the iron tip, will remove the diode from it's lands. Use a nice fat tip for this job. Clean up with solder wick. Add a touch of fresh solder onto each land. The PCB's in this radio are really well made and will tolerate quite some abuse before the print becomes damaged.

11) Grab your new diode in the tweezers, making sure you know which end is the cathode.

12) Line the new diode up to it's solder lands, and just melt the solder with the small iron, so as to solder the one end of the diode in place. Remove the tweezers and melt the solder on the other end.

13) Repeat for the other 16 diodes on this board.

14) Put the board to one side , it's time to tackle the display board .... "What's so tricky And?" I hear you say .. it looks similar to the other PCB .. unfortunately there are 12 diodes UNDER the LCD crystal display, so it's got to come out.

15) Twist the 4 tags holding the display screening can to the board, and desolder the two points.

16) Desolder the two multipin connectors to the display, just underneath the CD slot. TAKE YOUR TIME. The display crystal is very fragile. One crack, and it's game over. I chose to flood the connectors with solder and run the iron up and down the whole length until every joint was wet, the display will then gently come out. Solder wick is another option. Don't use one of those nasty hand held spring loaded solder pump things, you'll just rip the tracks from the board. Once the display is out , put it somewhere safe. Mine fell off the bench and was cracked ... you have been warned.

17) Using the hole clearing tool (OK , it's a pin and a bit of connector block) and the solder braid, clean up the connectors. Warm the pin up with your fat iron, and push it through each blocked whole , clean up with solder wick.

18) Change the diodes in the same manner as you did on the first board.

19) CAREFULLY re-fit the display. Don't forget to twist the tags and solder the can.

20) If you have a bench supply, plug the boards in and power up to check it all lights up nicely. You'll need to connect +12 Permanent, and +12 lights.

21) Only do these bits if you want to mod the Aux socket. Move back to the sub-board, and looking at the aux connector, cut the track as shown... first picture is it uncut , second after the incision is made. This is to fool the electronics into thinking there is a plug in the socket.

22) Turn the PCB over, and connect a piece of twin and screen cable to the points as shown. Right channel is red, left black and the screen is ground.

Actually that picture isn't great... this is better

23) Replace the sub-panel, and the main display PCB, and carefully route your new cable out of the front... it's tight , but mine fitted.

24) Refit the radio in the dash, again routing the new cable.

25) Refit the dash in the car. My new cable I routed over to the drivers side, where my iPhone mount is. You'll need to solder a 3.5mm stereo jack to the end, tip is left, ring is right, and sleeve is ground.

26) Admire work and proceed to the instrument cluster colour change guide

Last edited by Doz on Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

To fiddly for me. I am happy with standard amber in my red car, due to my terrible colour blindness they are red!I take my photography really seriously and I feel I must congratulate you on an absolutely brilliant presentation. Your macro work is first class, well done.

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